Cumberland Island Annual Horse Count

The 2009 Annual Horse Count takes place this weekend, Mar. 20-22, at Cumberland Island. The annual census utilizes volunteers from around the country, including many students. Cumberland Harbour residents Bernie & Mary Huber, National Park Service volunteers, also take part.

Though impossible to count virtually every horse, the census, by utilizing the same methods year to year, has developed over time a clear picture of horse population and health trends.

Volunteers gather for a review session Friday evening. Saturday entails counting in the northern part of the Island. Saturday night features the traditional Brats and Bubbas Barbeque. The census finishes on Sunday, where counts are done in the south. Protocols employed allow the final tabulation to identify and exclude redundant counts (ie, same horse counted twice).

The existence of horses is not without some controversy. Horses are not native to the island, and environmentalists charge horses feed on and destroy sand dune plant life, which anchor the dunes and serve to protect the dunes and island from erosion. The Park Service has in this case decided to allow the horses to remain.